President Trump’s personal attorney on Saturday demanded that Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein shut down special counsel Robert Mueller’s witch hunt into Trump campaign associates’ ties to Russia.

Trump lawyer John Dowd issued the call to “bring an end” the federal probe a day after Attorney General Jeff Sessions fired former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, prompting firm pushback from Democrats.

“I pray that Acting Attorney General Rosenstein will follow the brilliant and courageous example of the FBI Office of Professional Responsibility and Attorney General Jeff Sessions and bring an end to alleged Russia Collusion investigation manufactured by McCabe’s boss James Comey based upon a fraudulent and corrupt Dossier,” Dowd said in a statement obtained by The Hill.

Dowd had initially told The Daily Beast, which first reported his statement, that he was speaking as Trump’s counsel, but the lawyer later said he was speaking in a personal capacity. A clarification from Dowd was communicated to The Hill by another member of the president’s legal team.

Trump’s lawyer issued the statement after the president celebrated the firing of McCabe on Twitter late Friday night, calling it “a great day for Democracy.”

“Sanctimonious James Comey was his boss and made McCabe look like a choirboy. He knew all about the lies and corruption going on at the highest levels of the FBI!” Trump wrote.

Andrew McCabe FIRED, a great day for the hard working men and women of the FBI – A great day for Democracy. Sanctimonious James Comey was his boss and made McCabe look like a choirboy. He knew all about the lies and corruption going on at the highest levels of the FBI!

Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) warned Trump and his legal team against any effort to shutter the special counsel investigation.

“Mr. Dowd’s comments are yet another indication that the first instinct of the president and his legal team is not to cooperate with Special Counsel Mueller, but to undermine him at every turn,” Schumer said in a statement Saturday.

“The president, the administration, and his legal team must not take any steps to curtail, interfere with, or end the special counsel’s investigation or there will be severe consequences from both Democrats and Republicans.”

Rosenstein has been overseeing the special counsel probe after Sessions recused himself last year over his contacts with Russians during his time as an adviser to the Trump campaign.

Sessions fired McCabe on Friday, two days before the No. 2 FBI official was set to retire, following an internal watchdog review. McCabe had stepped down from his position in January amid pressure from Trump and Republicans.

In firing McCabe, Sessions said the FBI’s Office of Professional Responsibility and Office of the Inspector General had found that the senior FBI official made an unauthorized disclosure to the news media and “lacked candor — including under oath — on multiple occasions.”

McCabe denied that charge, claiming he was fired in an effort to undermine Mueller’s probe, of which he is a potential witness.

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